American Water, the largest publicly-traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company, announced that Melanie Kennedy, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, was recognized by the Philadelphia Business Journal as a Diversity in Business Award honoree. The award recognizes diverse leaders that have demonstrated success in their respective fields and through philanthropic endeavors.

“I want to congratulate Melanie on this well-deserved recognition,” said Susan Hardwick, president and CEO of American Water. “Melanie, as a key leader, embodies American Water’s continued commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equity.”

Kennedy is responsible for overall human resources strategy, talent acquisition, leadership development, organizational design and cultural development, compensation and benefits, HR operations and technology, employee and labor relations, and employee education and development. She is also the executive sponsor of American Water’s ID&E Council.

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She served four years on the Medford Education Foundation Board, an independent nonprofit corporation formed to enrich educational experiences for students by supporting high quality school programs and initiatives.  Kennedy currently serves on the finance committee for Cooper University Hospital and the Board of Directors for the Health Transformation Alliance. She is also an active volunteer for LUCY Outreach in Camden, N.J.

Kennedy holds a JD from Rutgers University School of Law, N.J., and a bachelor’s degree from University of Rhode Island.

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American Water recently published its 2021 Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (ID&E) report that includes the company’s consolidated EEO-1 data for 2020 as well as other key diversity metrics. The report and other information about the company’s comprehensive ID&E strategy can be found on a new, interactive website, DiversityatAW.com, that communicates the company’s efforts to build an inclusive workplace.

This year’s honorees will be celebrated at a live event on August 25th and in a special edition of the Philadelphia Business Journal on August 26th.

Source: American Water